The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for automatically injecting brine and the like into meat items such as bacon bellies. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for injecting a substantially continuous flow of meat items by a system including an arrangement whereby fluid ejected by injector members is automatically varied according to at least one parameter of each individual belly or the like so as to tailor the amount injected into each particular belly or the like. This injection tailoring minimizes variation in the percentage of fluid picked up from belly to belly during the injection procedure. A dimension grader assembly preferably is provided upstream of the injection assembly to determine, for each individual belly or the like, the value of the parameter which is utilized in order to tailor the injection scheme for each one of the bellies or the like flowing to and through the injector.
During the course of treating products in food processing operations or the like, it is at times required to inject each food item with a fluid. A well-known example in this regard is the injection of bacon bellies with pickling brine. In many instances of injection of fluids into meat items and the like, it is important to avoid either over-injection or under-injection. In the case of brine injection, if too much brine is injected, the result can be a bacon product having an excessively salty taste or having a level of nitrites in excess of desirable or regulated amounts. Having too little brine injected can lead to a bacon product having an off-taste which can be too bland or otherwise unacceptable. The extent of brine injection can also vary texture, cure and color. Product uniformity from the point of view of taste, texture, cure and color can be enhanced by increasing injection uniformity throughout the bacon belly or the like and from one bacon belly to another, regardless of thickness or the like.
Another important aspect of fluid injection into meat products and the like is the need to stay within government standards. For example, in the case of bacon bellies, certain USDA standards must be complied with. One of these is that, when a fluid is injected, particularly one containing large quantities of water such as a brine solution, the amount of injected fluid or water cannot remain in the finished product and still meet a particular standard of identity. For example, in the case of bacon, the weight of brine solution injected into the belly must be driven off during processing so that the final bacon product cannot be said to contain any added water. Because of this, bacon producers will typically avoid adding brine in weight percentages which approach too closely the percentage of weight that is driven off during processing of the raw or green belly into the finished bacon product. Because of this, in a typical bacon processing plant, the weight of raw bellies entering the plant is noticeably greater than the weight of finished product exiting the line. Substantial savings in raw material cost and efficiency could be achieved if the difference between raw belly weights and finished product weights could be reduced.
With more particular reference to this objective, the term "pickup" can be used to define the amount of brine which is added during belly injection. The pickup will be detected as added weight to each raw belly. During subsequent processing, such as belly handling, cooking, smoking, pressing, slicing and the like, this pickup will be depleted. Ideally, only the pickup weight will be removed during processing, thereby leaving exactly the same belly weight as the raw belly.
Bellies, however, are not particularly uniform. Bacon bellies come off the cut operation in many sizes and weights and thicknesses. Sometimes attempts at uniformity include some pre-sorting of bellies according to selected weight ranges, such as 7 to 9 pounds, 9 to 11 pounds and 11 to 13 pounds. Even this type of weight sorting does not typically account for bellies that weigh the same but have different size parameters, such as height.
These types of variations make it exceedingly difficult to consistently inject the same percentage pickup from belly to belly. Because of this, a prudent bacon processor will be certain that the average processed belly weight will be well enough below the average raw belly weights so as to comfortably account for variations in bellies and their processing, particularly variations in brine pickup percentage. It will be appreciated that, if the range of fluctuation of the finished weights of the respective bellies is relatively wide, then the average processed belly weight must be lower than if this range of processed belly values were narrower. One could consider the processed belly weights to fluctuate between an upper control limit and a lower control limit of weight values. It is desirable that the upper control limit of the processed bellies be as close as possible to the preinjected raw belly weights Typically, this will involve reducing the difference between the upper control limit and the lower control limit.
Prior art patents such as Townsend U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,863,556 and 4,220,669 suggest devices for varying the amount of brine injection into a meat product or the like, with the extent of such brine injection being controlled somewhat by the make-up of the product. U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,556 describes a machine for injecting pickling brines into pork bellies through the use of needles passing through a stripper plate. The stripper plate engages the top surface of the belly in order to measure the thickness of the belly, and an attempt is made to measure average thickness by permitting the plate to be higher at one end of the pork belly than at its other end. U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,669 shows a plurality of stripper plates, and this patent indicates that it controls the volume of brine administered by controlling the flow of fluid injected through the needles at a rate that is proportional to the movement velocity of the needles.
The present invention advances this art by varying the injection of brine or the like whereby the brine injection is carried out in a manner such that uniformity of injection throughout the belly is enhanced. In addition, the brine pickup percentage is more closely controlled to be more uniform from belly to belly by proceeding with an injection arrangement that allows each belly to be monitored at a location upstream of the injector, and to have data collected during the monitoring operation input to the brine injection mechanism in accordance with a pattern that will best inject that previously monitored belly. The system permits the needed adjustments to be made "on the fly" and while the bellies are proceeding to and through the injection mechanism.
In summary, the present invention is directed to an automatic system, including an apparatus and method, for injecting brine and the like into food items, particularly meat components including bellies for making bacon products. A series of meat items or the like are conveyed to, through and out of an injection assembly having one or more injectors that move into and enter each meat item for injecting a fluid such as a brine composition thereinto. The injector is preferably of the type in which respective increments of the brine are ejected therefrom at various velocity values which vary generally along the stroke length of the injector between a maximum value and a minimum value. The increment of fluid which is ejected at each various velocity value is varied according to a parameter such as thickness of the belly or the like. In this way, the amount of brine injected into each belly is tailored according to the parameter, with the result that the brine pickup percentage is more uniform from belly to belly processed according to the invention.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for injecting brine and the like into meat items such as bacon bellies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for automatically injecting an optimum quantity of fluid such as brine composition into each one of a flow of items such as raw bacon bellies.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for varying brine pickup from belly to belly such that the upper control limit of the range of belly processed weights closely approaches the raw belly weights.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved system wherein a parameter of a flow of individual bellies is measured in order to generate data for control of brine pickup injected into the flow of bacon bellies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method whereby, during brine injection of bacon bellies, bellies of a given weight will be injected with different quantities of brine, depending upon belly thickness.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved belly injection system wherein injection values are varied by changing the time at which the brine volume is ejected along the stroke of a reciprocating injector.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for enhancing bacon product uniformity in terms of texture, color, cure, taste and the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved system wherein a bacon belly can be automatically injected with brine in proportion to its size and to have a generally uniform moisture content generally throughout its cross-sections.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for tailoring brine injection patterns, including varying the amounts of brine injected at different injection velocities along the length of a needle injector or the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for injecting bacon bellies and the like with brine compositions and the like wherein the amount injected is substantially uniform throughout each belly and from belly to belly.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.